For most people, including prominent
community leaders who attended the
Philadelphia intellectual forum
Saturday, they went home disappointed
after a senior leader of the Mandingo
community cuffed a blow in their effort
to unite their
community.
The newly established independent intellectual forum
organized by Liberian Mandingoes in the Philadelphia
area invited one of the founding members of the Liberian
Mandingo Association of New York (LIMAY) as a honored
Guest. To the dismay of many, Mr. Randoph Jabateh threw
more punches as he maintained and defended his stance
against Mandingo unity.
“Leave me alone…” he declared and blasted the Mandingo
community leaders who he said are claiming to be promoting unity
when they are actually doing the opposite. He said
various Mandingo organizations lack substance and
credibility in carrying out the task of community unity.
He described such effort as a “waste of time.”
The out-spoken and I-will-say-what-on-my-mind speaker,
who spoke in his capacity as a member of the LIMANY
family noted that while the current administration of
FELMAUSA made effort to reach out to LIMANY to join
efforts, he did not see the need for “Mandingoes to come
together. So we did not join FELMAUSA, because it would
be a waste of time.”
However, the community leader suggested that Mandingo
organizations can network and do things separately
instead of joining their efforts, which to him will
only lead to failure and would benefit no one in the
community. “How can we be speaking of Mandingo unity
when we ourselves are not sincere in the process? I
think we should stop fooling ourselves and begin to be
serious about undertaking projects that will benefits
our people,” Jabateh scolded his kinsmen.
Looking straight in the eyes of FELMAUSA President-Elect
Mohammed Dukuly, who graced the meeting on Woodland
Avenue Saturday, Jabateh reiterated his stance against
Mandingo unity and told Dukuly not to waste his time
trying to have him get onboard FELMAUSA. “You are
wasting your time trying to get me join FELMAUSA. Fix
the boat first and make sure it is not leaking and if it is
safe then I can come onboard." He would not guarantee
his participation in any FELMAUSA activities even if the
boat was safe to sail in.
He went on: "The mosques that are supposed to be uniting us are in
chaos. People are fighting each other then you gonna
tell me to help unite? You go ahead and fix the boat.
“Don’t waste your energy trying to get me onboard. We can
network. You can have your boat and if you get plenty goods
and I have mine, we can work together.”
To the disbelief of many who were in total shock
listening to the speaker, Jabateh maintained that no one will succeed in
making him become a player in FELMAUSA and be part of
anything that looks like uniting Mandingo people. "I
am not interested being a part of anything that is
trying to form Mandingo unity my people. But if anyone
of you succeeds and that benefit the people, I will be
happy. And what is wrong with that? he asked.
He called on those who are in favor of Mandingo unity to
prove to him that unity works. "You have to prove to me that it will work. It’s a
challenge to you FELMAUSA. I did not go around calling
anyone to join FELMAUSA, but I have always embraced the
formation of FELMAUSA, but leave me in a distance. Is
something wrong with that my people? It’s nothing wrong
with that. There is nothing about FELMAUSA formation
that was hidden from me.”
Jabateh said he was concern for FELMAUSA prior
to the 2009 convention in Minnesota. According to him,
he begged the Program Committee Chairman (Talata
Sheriff) “who is standing right there. I begged him 100
percent and said no matter what happens do not take part
in the argument. He is standing here I am not lying on
him. I told him to make sure the program succeed,
because if it fails, it is Mandingo people. If it
succeeds, it is Mandingo people.”
Jabateh recounted some of his unsuccessful attempts to
unite the Mandingo people. He appeared very emotional
when he
reminisced efforts made by some leaders in the community
to bring "our people together." He also raised eyebrows
when he recalled the formation of LIMANY and adding that
"LIMANY does not belong to all Mandingo people, but
LIMANY gonna try to serve the Mandingo people. We are
not going to have people on the ship who are just
toileting all over the place and leaving it for one
person to clean it up. LIMANY for people who cares."
“We have spent lot of time on this unity unity thing,
still we not going somewhere. You have to be dumb and
crazy to you doing the same thing year in year out and
you want to say I am gonna continue to do that? You got
to do something productive my people. You got to
something and show something. Then you want to come tell
me…..look my people I am not in favor of it.”
Some of the attendants including Lansana Koromo just
kept swinging their heads, apparently not believing some
of the things that Mr. Jabateh was openly saying. In
fact, one of Jabateh’s friends-turned nemesis, Morris Sekou Kanneh quickly left the forum, asking for an
excuse to attend a relative wedding in the city.
“We have to be real,” Jabateh said in his opening line.
He maintained his opposition to Mandingo unity, claiming
that “when Mandingo people unite, they don’t maintain
it. So I don’t want anything you don’t maintain, so I am
not in favor of Mandingo unity.”
He frowned on people who call him the “most divisive
person” in the community. According to him people have
failed to reach out to him to know the character of
person he is and what he stands for.
He paid tribute to Mohammed Konneh, an official of
LIMANY whom he said is someone he likes to hang out
with. He also recognized the current ULAA National
President Anthony Kesselly for ably representing his
people.
The forum was organized by an intellectual group of Liberian
Mandingoes in Philadelphia who invited
the leadership of the Liberian Mandingo
Association of New York (LIMANY). The sustained forum named The Independent
Intellectual Forum of Philadelphia has become the
hottest genre where fellow Mandingoes meet daily to
discuss hot button issues affecting their community and
Liberia.
The Saturday meeting was supposed to address numerous burning
issues including LIMANY intention to collaborate with
umbrella Federation of Liberian Mandingoes (FELMAUSA)
and also to solicit views and suggestions from the LIMANY
leadership on FELMAUSA transition process as well as
LIMANY’s plans to work with FELMAUSA, but it felt short
of achieving that goal.
Most people left the forum expressing
disappointment that forum organizers did
not do well in controlling or allotting
time to the speakers, most especially
Mr. Jabateh who saw an opportunity to
speak his mind.
Other high-ranking community leaders
including former Liberian lawmaker Varlay Dorley and
Minnesota Mandingo Association Board Chairman Bangalee
Trawally made special remarks. Both men contradicted
Jabateh's position on Mandingo unity. Instead they
stressed the importance of Mandingo unity as the key to
their success.
The visiting MMA official Trawally
described the forum as a healthy exercise. He said, “I
am impressed that brothers and sisters are coming
together to discuss issues that concern them. It’s good
that we can share our ideas. “
Mr. Trawally called Jabateh as his
long time ally. “We have been fighting for Mandingo
unity for a long time. Bro. Jabateh has been categorized
in so many ways by people, but for him to come and speak
to you here today is a positive sign.”
The MMA official said despite the
negative perception against his ally, “he still came
when you called on him. He is down to earth and from the
time I have been with him, I know him to be an asset to
our community. We all should understand and must pursue
the cause of our unity among our people.”
Mr. Trawally, who was not present when
Jabateh gave his opening statements, noted that when
Mandingoes continue to dialogue to settle their petty
differences, “all will be good for all us.” He assured
the gathering he will take the message of unity back to
Minnesota to let his kinsmen there know what their
brothers and sisters have started in Philadelphia. “It’s
healthy,” he reiterated.
FELMAUSA
President Richmond Mohammed Konneh was represented by Publicity Committee Chairman Nvasekie Konneh. FELMAUSA President-Elect Mohamed Dukuly
did not respond to Jabateh's outburst, and FELMAUSA Board Chairman Abraham Kromah
and Vice President
Administration-Elect Mohamed Kromah failed to attend. Phamolie Morris
Kromah, FELMAUSA Secretary General-Elect appeared late
at the forum.
